What is NASA’s Interest in Natural Systems?

ABSTRACT

Nature has provided inspiration and data for aeronautical and space travel long before the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was created. Now NASA is finding renewed interest in using the knowledge and mimicry of Nature to develop technology and vehicles that and help to support new missions. This paper begins by reviewing selected areas NASA has found relevant application of Natural Systems historically and recently. We look into the rational for broadening that work into Systems Engineering process. Based on NASA participation with the INCOSE Natural Systems Working Group, NASA is growing its own informal community whose ultimate goal is a paradigm shift in engineering and technology at NASA that places increased value on the knowledge of the Natural world. Along with more elegant solutions, NASA will have bolder vision, challenges and even process change for Systems Engineering to include Natural Systems instead of only incremental improvements to man-made systems.

About the Author

George Studor is a retired NASA engineer and a consultant for the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC). He provides expertise in in-space inspection and monitoring, wireless avionics and robotic spacecraft bio-inspired engineering. He organized In-Space Inspection Workshops in 2012 and 2014 for the NESC which included bio-inspired technologies to meet the needs. Driven by a need to have a fully controllable inspection snake for the International Space Station, George and others began to appreciate the broad solution-space offered by natural systems. Then, with the support of the Robotics Spacecraft Technical Discipline Team (TDT), he founded the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) Natural Systems Working Group (NSWG) in January 2013, and served as its chair until January 2015. George continues as co-chairman today. He is currently starting up a NESC Community of Practice for Natural Systems in Engineering under the Robotic Spacecraft TDT.